I Know
by BrokenxTalon
Summary: Team 10 is in the torture chamber. Shikamaru's willing to do whatever it takes to save his teammates. Shikaino. [TO BE REWRITTEN.]


A/N: Enjoy and review, por favor. (:  
I've finally corrected some spelling errors, and thank you to all who have reviewed thus far.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Quote credit goes to Vanessa Carlton.

Summary: When a mission goes horribly wrong, Shikamaru is willing to risk everything he has to protect Ino. He has to. He made a promise, after all.

A warning before you read...

be prepared for some bad language by Shika. :D

**I Know****  
Written by BrokenxTalon  
****July 30, 2009 -- October 04, 2009****  
InoShika One-Shot  
"And as he spoke, he spoke ordinary words"**

Before he even opened his eyes, Shikamaru Nara knew exactly what had happened. _Steps ahead_, he mused to himself. _As always_. But sometimes he wished that he could have reacted to each step rather than realizing them. If that had been the case... then none of this would have happened. Kiba wouldn't have been poisoned, which meant Neji wouldn't have had to stay behind. If there had been three-hundred-and-sixty degrees surrounding he, Choji, and Ino, then they would have seen the rogue shinobi that had been sucking out their chakra from a distance. They could have stopped him before his partner attacked their weakened bodies. Oh, yes. Shikamaru knew _exactly_ what had happened... but he had absolutely _no_ idea where he was.

It looked like a damp cave. Water dripped from above and landed on the stone ground in an echoing _plop_. His back was pressed firmly against a rock wall while his outstretched arms and legs were binded to the wall by rope. Lowering his gaze, Shikamaru suddenly found himself gazing at a familiar looking blonde -- unconscious on the floor. Her back faced him, and she appeared to be unharmed, but for some strange reason, the sight of his teammate so innocent and defenseless brought a sickening feeling to the pit of his stomach. If anything were to happen, and someone attacked Ino, nobody would be able to save her. They were both out of chakra, and after finding Choji a few yards away from her, it became obvious that he was too.

Shikamaru felt weak and lethargic against the cold stone. Had he not felt so cautious, his eyes would have easily been closing. He knew now that these thieves were no regular thieves; the break in of the country store had been a trap. Shutting his eyes and taking a steady breath, he gritted his teeth together to bite back the irritation he felt for putting Ino in this danger. Not only Ino... but Choji, Neji, Kiba, and Akamaru, as well. Who knew what sort of trouble they could be in as of now? He took over responsibility of Ino and Choji as the leader when Neji stayed behind with Kiba -- a poison-wielding kunai stuck in his shin and causing him to fall ill. Shikamaru knew he had been responsible for her safety. Inoichi had nailed this into his head several times before going on missions. How could he be so stupid?

"You're that Nara kid!"

Lifting his hazel eyes slowly, he found himself staring at two bulky men. Shikamaru recalled seeing the biggest of them back in the forest; he had been the one to pin he and Ino to the ground. "Yeah, I am," he answered. His voice came out all wrong -- husky and worn. "Any particular reason you know who I am? Or, better yet... why you have us here?"

The smaller man -- the one who had pointed him out -- nudged the other with narrowed eyes. "I thought you said we caught the wrong guy!" he demanded, averting Shikamaru's questions. "This is the leaf village worm that Orochimaru wanted!"

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, rather surprised by the large man's words. "Orochimaru?" he spat, venom coating the name. "You mean you're working for _that_ scum?"

His words certainly caught their attention this time. They raised their eyes, turning to face him with hard faces. Ino had just begun to stir, and Choji was slowly coming to his knees, his body shaking. The bigger man approached him slowly, his footsteps heavy against the floor. He stopped an inch away from Shikamaru's face.

"That's _Lord_ Orochimaru to you," the man snapped in a deep voice, his eyes narrowed, "Shikamaru Nara."

Shikamaru just barely refrained himself from spitting in his face. "He'll never be my lord," he retorted. "I'm willing to bet that even Sasuke doesn't call him that." A small, exhausted smirk crossed his lips. "Unless, of course, Orochimaru finds you _below_ Uchiha. Is that why he's sent you to do his busy work?"

Of course he expected to be hit. Something about the way the man had approached him gave Shikamaru the hint in the first place. His jaw cracked in and out of place after the punch, and a sharp pain ran up and down the sides of his face.

"Shikamaru!"

He lifted his eyes to see Choji with his eyes wide. He was seated, thankfully, next to Ino, who had just barely come to. The Nara could only offer them a small smile, because within the same second, a hand struck him hard across the face and forced him to look straight at the two men again. "If you're smart, Kid, you'll keep your mouth shut," the smaller threatened, still staring intensely at him. It wasn't long before the sober stare became an amused smile. "Oh, wait..." he mused, cocking his head to the side. "You _are_ smart, and it wouldn't matter if you kept your mouth shut or not. That _is_, after all, the reason we're here."

Silence filled the air. Shikamaru parted his lips slightly. "Care to explain?"

Out of the corner and his eye, Choji and Ino shuffled uneasily.

"Lord Orochimaru has suddenly taken a very unique interest in you," the bigger explained, stepping away. "We've heard from some very valuable sources that you're the genius of the hidden leaf, which means you could pose a possible threat one day.... Because of that, we've been sent to destroy you."

"Stay away from him!" Ino yipped, but he forced himself not to look at her. _Keep eye contact_, he told himself. _He'll be less likely to go after them_. His plan worked. While one of them turned very lightly and laughed at Ino's attempt, the other kept staring at him.

Shikamaru shook his head, shutting his eyes. "How troublesome. Really. But I have to say, I hope the two of you didn't strain your brains trying to think of such a _genius _plan."

The sarcasm rolled off his tongue with intent, because as soon as he said it, the man that had started to face his team turned back to him. _Successful, _he told himself. The rapid beat of his heart finally began to slow -- something that wouldn't have happened a few years back. He wasn't a coward anymore. Asuma had long since taught him how to stand on his own. So even as the blowing strike that came to his stomach knocked the air from his lungs, he didn't fear for his life. All he could do was struggle to get his breath back.

"No! Stop it!"

"Leave Shikamaru alone!"

Slowly, his vision, having just faded to black, came back to him in blurry blotches. One of the men grunted. "Scrawny kid. Young too. Probably only sixteen or seventeen, I'd say, Kemu."

"I'm eighteen, you nimrod," Shikamaru snapped back, but the words came out worse than before. The venom in his tone was just barely recognizable.

But before he could be hit again, the smaller man was stopped by the larger. "You wanna make him suffer, Yuki?" he started. "Let's do that little idea that Kabuto had."

Shikamaru knew what was happening before it did. He knew how Kabuto's brain worked, and the very thought of it brought a sickening feeling to the pit of his already twisted stomach. He watched aggravatingly as a malicious smile crossed Yuki's lips. He sauntered tauntingly towards Ino and Choji while Kemu stayed by him.

"You'd be smart not to touch them," Shikamaru hissed. Choji and Ino were helpless; they could barely move, let alone use any abilities.

They both ignored him. Instead, Yuki tore across the floor and ripped Choji up by his collar. Shikamaru struggled against the binds, but it was no use; his chakra had not yet returned to him. "Out of the way, Fat Ass!" Yuki hollered, throwing Choji across the floor with great strength. Ino and Shikamaru cried his name in unison, but thankfully, he appeared unharmed.

But the relief did not last for long, because almost immediately after he threw Choji, Yuki forced himself on top of Ino, who cried out in horror. Rage burned through the exhaustion in Shikamaru's limbs. "GET OFF OF HER!" he screamed, his shoulder blades slamming hard against the rock as he struggled, twisted, and turned. "INO!"

He had been so distracted by Ino's screams that he failed to notice Kemu, who prompty kicked him as hard as he possibly could in the knee. Shutting his eyes tight and suppressing a hiss, Shikamaru tried to manage a plan in his head. Somewhere, in his exhausted mind, he knew there were two hundred possible routes he could have taken. Each route hit the same block -- his chakra had been stripped from him; which meant there was only one possible answer. Time had passed, after all. Not _all_ of their chakra could be gone. So, as Kemu got in his face again, Shikamaru concentrated intensely on working his last amounts of chakra through his body. Without a hand sign, it would be difficult, but not impossible; Asuma had taught him that.

"Listen, Nara..." Kemu hissed. Shikamaru maintained a solid stare as he worked through the exhaustion. "The more you object to the fun we're gonna have with your girlfriend, here, the more you're gonna get beaten. So it's your decision. Her," he flicked his head towards Ino, whose screams had died down, "or you."

He felt the chakra tear down his legs, focusing on specific points for his shadow to appear. Because the energy had gone to his chakra points, and not necessarily his organs, Shikamaru had to fight harder and harder to keep himself conscious. "Do what you want with me, you sick bastard..." he whispered, the words leaving his lips with one solid exhale. "I don't care."

As Kemu turned back to nod at Yuki, Shikamaru dropped his head. _Hold it... _he whispered to himself. _Just hold it until it's time._

"No!" Ino suddenly yelped, exhaustion caressing her voice. "No... don't. Get off...."

Yuki gripped her long, blonde hair, forcing her into the wall adjacent to Shikamaru, and promptly smacked her across the face.

"What good is this doing?" he snarled at Kemu. "Hurting her? If I'm the one this slimeball wants gone, then why are you wasting his precious time by going after my _teammate_?"

Both of the men seemed to freeze. Shikamaru let a smirk cross his lips. "Oh, really? You can't stand to hear me insult your precious _king_? Pathetic. I'd be willing to believe that he's promised you something in return for working for him!" Kemu and Yuki glanced at each other, before turning back to Shikamaru. Ino rubbed her cheek slowly, her eyes watching him curiously. "If so... then what a fantastic lie that was," he continued, forcing his eyes to remain open. Again, his plan was working. Distracted from Ino, the attention had been directed on him. "Do you honestly think someone like _Orochimaru_ would give anybody _anything_ but pain? Sure, he gave Sasuke the curse mark, but at a price. I'm sure you've been around to see what it can do to him."

Kemu took a step back, his face flushed. Yuki looked away.

"Or is it possible that you're not even _that_ high on Orochimaru's list?" Shikamaru attempted, gathering both mens' attention once more. "Not even high enough to _see _Sasuke. Am I right?"

He had expected their reactions. Kemu's fist came quickly, punching the wall just an inch from Shikamaru's head. The rock caved in and crumbled to the ground in large pieces. Fortunately, Shikamaru was too tired to show his concern for the man's strength, which only seemed to anger Kemu more... and distract both of them from Ino.

"Please don't...!" Ino cried, trying to push herself off the ground. "Leave him alone!"

_Damn_.

Yuki turned to kick Ino in the stomach, forcing blood up her throat and into her mouth. Shikamaru twisted and turned, grunting angrily. "DAMMIT, NO!" he hollered. "You must be kidding me! You don't have enough strength to take us on at full power, so you have to beat somebody without _any_? _Seriously_! That's low! Even for you two scum!"

_Yes_.

They both came at him within a second. Kemu grabbed his left wrist, and Yuki grabbed his right, and even before Shikamaru could consider a way out of it, it was too late. Bones broke easily as each of his wrists were snapped back and twisted easily. Shikamaru bit his tongue, letting out nothing more than a moan, and shut his eyes tight. A sharp pain hit each hand at first, followed by a threatening numbness that quickly turned to a sickening ache. He grunted loudly, lifting his chin as his stomach twisted into a knot that made him feel ill.

The men laughed mercilessly. "Now for the girl..." drawled Yuki, whose footsteps forced Shikamaru's eyes open.

"STAY AWAY FROM HER YOU IGNORANT FUCK!" Shikamaru screamed, the pain flairing his anger. Yuki's eyebrows went up in surprise.

He knew his outbursts would only cause him more pain, but Shikamaru was insistent on keeping Ino and Choji safe. He was the leader. He _needed_ to protect them. So he took a breath and held it, only crying out when Kemu ripped the rope from his left wrist. For a moment, his right wrist, broken and bounded by the remaining rope, had no choice but to hold him up. The white-hot became so intense that Shikamaru was sure his entire arm would break. Soon enough, however, a bittersweet moment graced him, and his right arm was freed. Unfortunately, now only tied by his ankles, Shikamaru was helpless when one of the men pushed against his back and forced him down.

"Gah!"

His right leg broke almost instantly, somehow managing to escape the binding, while his left escaped with rope burn. He landed on his shoulder, sliding across the floor and burning the shirt and flesh away from his arm. He howled in horror, still fighting to hold the chakra in his points. _Er.... I can't use shadow possession on them anymore.... I'll have to...._

Suddenly, his thoughts became a jumbled mess as he turned his head and vomited a great deal of water and blood.

He tried to block out their laughter and his violent breathing -- anything that would tell him that he was losing this fight. Much like Asuma, he hated to lose; especially after two specific missions. One that had nearly killed Neji and Choji, and another... that had killed Asuma. A sob crawled up his throat, shaking his body as he rolled onto his back and tried to focus. _Asuma..._ he managed. _I'm so sorry. I don't know what to do anymore. Ino... Choji... Kiba... Neji...._

"Oh... Shika...maru...."

The sound of his own name surprised him. He turned to face Ino, just a few yards from him. She looked exhausted, the right side of her face bruised and swollen while her eyes began to turn black and blue. Tears were dripping down her face silently, her usually bright blue eyes bloodshot and dull. Something about the way she uttered his name broke his heart. She was hurt... and he had let it happen. Concern filled him, giving him just enough strength to roll over onto his slender stomach and begin to crawl towards her.

But before he could even get close to her, Yuki came back into the picture. He got on his knees, crawling seductively across Ino's body and forcing his lips against her thighs and hips. Shikamaru froze; not even _he_ had been able to guess this would happen. Yuki watched Ino's eyes, which had never left her teammate, and followed her gaze to the jounin. Shikamaru felt his jaw drop in disgust, his eyes widen, and every inch of sanity he had left diminish. Yuki raised his eyebrows and let them drop, tauntingly staring at him as he continued to crawl up Ino.

_He'll be fucking sorry._

Finally, Shikamaru re-focused on his chakra points and concentrated on the form of his jutsu. His shadow crept out from beneath him, moving towards Yuki very slowly. He breathed harshly, focused harder, and tried to make the shadow move faster and steadier. It was just moments from coming back to him. But as Yuki pressed his body entirely against Ino's and leaned down to her lips, fury suddenly blazed within him. He gritted his teeth together, ignored his broken wrists, and pulled his hands together to form a hand sign. The shadow rushed forward at full speed.

It wrapped around his torso and forced the him off of Ino almost instantly. Shikamaru could feel the relief radiate off of Ino, who barely moved. He worked harder, his arms aching and his hazel eyes glazing over, and didn't allow himself to be satisfied until the shadow wrapped around Yuki's neck once.

"Wha--!" Yuki cried out, his body shaking with shock. "What is this?"

Shikamaru knitted his eyebrows together, sweat lining across his forehead. "The reason you don't _ever_ mess with me," he spat, his own limbs trembling violently.

He held it longer, cutting off all of his airways and pushing him to his knees. The man's face turned a light shade of blue, and he tried to choke out a few words, but it was to no prevail. He had him.

"SHIKAMARU, LOOK OUT!"

_What?_

Shikamaru turned to face Choji, who had finally come to his knees. Mistake. Something heavy came down quick and firm on top of his hand, snapping most of his fingers. The jutsu broke off of Yuki, but Shikamaru had put up too much of a fight to give up. He redirected it at Kemu, whose foot resided on his hand, by pure concentration alone. He was able to push the man away, but nothing more, as the shadow retracted back to his body.

He crawled forward by his elbows as quickly as he could. While Yuki was still on the ground, gasping for air, Kemu would be up within seconds, which meant he had very little time to get to Ino. But, eventually, he did it -- he got to her. Wincing, Shikamaru pulled her close to him. He wouldn't allow this fight to go any further.

She began to sob uncontrollably, curling up against his chest as best she could. He felt guilty, wanting nothing more than to rub her back and console her, but with his fingers and his wrist broken, it was impossible. "Ino..." he whispered to her, tears welling up in his eyes. "I'm sorry.... I'm so, so sorry. I was supposed to protect you."

Memories came rushing back to him. He abruptly recalled being very young -- about six or seven -- and playing in the park with Ino and Choji. Shikaku had knelt down by his side as Ino crawled up the ladder of the slide. _You know, Shikamaru... Ino's a very special girl, _he had told him, causing the young boy to raise his eyebrows, confused. _You know how you were born the day before her?_ Shikaku attempted to rephrase, putting a hand to his son's little shoulders. Shikamaru had nodded with a roll of his eyes. Their mothers never let them forget it. Shikaku continued with a firm voice. _That means you're supposed to take good care of her. You're the oldest, after all. Someday, Ino may mean an awful lot to you, Shikamaru._

Shikamaru almost laughed at the memory, but it seemed to get caught in a sob. He remembered looking up at his father with large, disgusted eyes and turning bright red. _Ew, Dad._

_ Remember, though. _Shikaku added. _The worst thing you can say to a woman when she says that she loves you is "Thank you". The second worst thing is --_

His side suddenly took a heavy blow. Shikamaru recoiled, but didn't give up. He pulled even closer to Ino, working through the ache in his broken bones, and ended up taking several more kicks and punches that were meant for her.

"Give up, Nara!"

He barked laughter at Yuki's strained words. "We've... beaten the Akatsuki... together. You two are... nothing. Just a minor... dilemma."

Another kick to his side cracked a rib. He screamed to relieve the pain, but, once again, refused to let go of Ino.

"That's it. Get out the kunai, Yuki; let's end this."

He could hear them; the scraping of knives, the malicious laughter, and the taunting. And he could see them; the corrupted smiles, the raised arms, and the sharpened kunais. And he could feel them; the knives digging their way into his back, the men breaking every remaining bone in he and Ino's bodies, and the pain that would soon follow.

"Goodbye, Ino...."

One memorable voice came to his head. _I'm proud of you, Shikamaru_.

_Asuma?_

What sounded like two kunai coming together came within range, and just when Shikamaru took in one final breath, metal came crashing down onto his back.

... But there was nothing. Nothing at all.

It took a moment, but he soon realized that something had knocked the kunai from Kemu's hand. It had fallen onto his back horizontally.

"I thought I had come here to avenge Kiba," called a familiar voice. "However, it seems that I am here for Shikamaru and Ino as well."

Shikamaru felt Ino's cold fingers grace his neck. "It's Neji..." she whispered.

"If you know what's good for you, step away from them."

He bowed his head to touch the top of hers. "And Gai."

"We've got a jounin and two chuunin beaten here!" Yuki hollered. "Don't push your luck, Leaf nin!"

There were no more words; just sounds. He heard both men grunt, and managed to see Kemu fly into the wall just parallel to him.

"Shikamaru!" Ino began to sob. "Thank you... thank you so much. You saved... my life."

_You saved her life, Shikamaru_, Asuma was suddenly telling him. _It's okay now. Everything's alright._

"It's not alright," he replied out loud. "A second later and you would have been dead."

Ino put her hand to his face. "You fought... through the worst beating of your life... just to try and protect me.... You... saved my life."

He shook his head as noticeably as he could manage. "No...."

"Shikamaru!" Ino yelped again, her eyes narrowing, and the tears falling harder. "You're supposed to be a genius! You.... Don't you... get it...?"

He heard Neji chuckle sarcastically in the background, followed by a rather loud _thump_.

How could this have happened? _Shikamaru_ allowed the men to drain the chakra away from he and his teammates. _He _taunted Yuki until they decided to go after Ino. _He_ had gotten lucky.

"It wasn't me, Ino," he breathed. "It was Neji who saved you, and.... I only prolonged your suffering. How is that honorable in your eyes?"

Ino's hand raised and fell limp against his face again. If they had any chakra left, Shikamaru was sure it would have been a slap. "Shikamaru..." she sobbed. "You did everything in your power to keep them from me. You... you risked your life... and... you worked through broken bones galore just to cover me from getting hit. It... it wouldn't matter if Neji came, because... if it weren't... for you... I would be dead."

_She's right, Kid_.

_Shut up, Asuma_.

"Yeah..." he admitted finally. "Alright, Ino. You win."

He relaxed his limbs, beginning to slip in and out of consciousness. _This will never happen again, _he told himself, thinking back to that day at the park. _I promised everybody I would protect you, Ino. I just wish I could have done a better job._

Shikamaru met her eyes, which had never left his. Ino, like Choji, had long since become his best friend, but there was something different about their relationship. After Asuma's death, she had stuck by his side through the tears and the depression. She never left, no matter how angry he became, and if things grew _too_ emotional, she wasn't afraid to tell him to cool down. It was something that other people would have walked away from.

But, somehow, Ino knew him almost too well. She knew when to rip the cigarettes away from him and when to say the right things, and she also knew when he really needed comfort.

That, to this moment, had not changed -- not one bit.

**THREE WEEKS LATER**

"Shikamaru... you're taking it easy, right?"

His eyes narrowed almost immediately, and he was soon waving a dismissing hand in Temari's face. "Quit nagging me, Woman," he snarled, his eyes closing. "I've been released, remember?"

Temari put her hands to her hips, scoffing. "Yeah, but you walk with a crutch. A crutch you don't even use when you're training."

Choji and Ino were smirking in the background. Shikamaru knitted his eyebrows together. "My hips were broken."

"Exactly," she snapped. "They're _still_ hurt."

Shikamaru sneered at her as she bent over to retrieve her coat from his nightstand. "Good_bye_, Temari," he stated in a perfectly stern voice.

Temari replied with a taunting smile before leaning in to press her lips against his. "Bye. Take care of yourself, please." She turned towards his bedroom door, waving goodbye to Choji and Ino. "I'll see you guys later. Keep an eye on him."

Ino grinned widely. "Oh, we will."

"Later, Temari," Choji added.

A breath that Shikamaru had been holding finally released when Temari closed his door. Ino and Choji both chuckled as he fell back into his bed, groaning loudly. Temari had been around for almost two weeks. When she had first arrived, he had been having a hard time getting around; his leg, ribs, an arm, and hips still broken. Some of the injuries he had been given had barely been acknowledged at the time. He had been so bent on protecting Ino from getting hurt, that the kicks to his side had barely been noticed. At the time, he had had no idea he had been hit so hard.

Temari, upon hearing about the mission, had rushed over as soon as she could. For a year or two now, they had been in a sort of long distance relationship. They hardly called it that (in fact, Shikamaru called it "troublesome"), and it had all started with a shared kiss back in the hidden sand village. But whenever inquired about it, Shikamaru scarcely said they were dating. It didn't really matter. Temari did the same.

A stifled yawn came from Choji, who stood and stretched. "Well, it's been a long day. I think I'm off to bed. You too, Ino?"

Ino shrugged. "Yeah. In a minute, I guess."

Choji waved goodnight to the two of them before heading off to his room. For a while now, the three of them had been living together in a three-bedroom, one-floor apartment. Choji and Ino had originally proposed the idea -- Shikamaru agreed to it in order to get away from his nagging parents. The three of them had always been awfully close, anyway.

Ino came to sit by him, still smiling. "I'm glad you're better now," she explained, reaching down to touch his hand. "You were pretty badly hurt."

He lifted his eyes to meet her's. "It was worth it. You and Choji.... I couldn't let anything happen to you two. I'd never forgive myself."

Her hand raised to rub his shoulder. "Is that why you get so upset about Asuma sometimes?"

Shikamaru knew the question would be asked. He had expected it -- as well as the pang of ache that struck his heart. "Sometimes..." he admitted, his eyes staring forward._ Most of the time..._ he mused to himself. _Maybe I wouldn't if I didn't think I could have done more. But I was out of chakra. Just like with this mission._

"Well..." Ino sighed, folding her hands in her lap. "We should both probably get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning?"

He nodded. "Yeah...."

She leaned in to kiss his cheek. He couldn't help the anxiety that poured over him when she did. "Goodnight," Ino breathed, coming to her feet and starting for the door.

"Goodn--"

Shikamaru shut his eyes, his lips parted slightly. He couldn't believe he had just choked up on his words. Ino turned back around to face him, concern written all over her face.

He looked up at her again. "I'm sorry I let them hurt you."

Ino rolled her eyes and stepped back over to him. Tightly, she gripped his shoulders and looked him straight in the eye. "You can't blame yourself for everything that happens to me. People get hurt. People die. All you can ever do is try... and keep trying," she told him, looking nothing less than completely sincere. She had come a long way since they were genin. "And you tried... and you succeeded. I can never pay you back for what you did for me that day. I got a little bruised up; nobody could have stopped that."

He tried to look away, but Ino put a hand under his chin and forced him to meet her eyes again. "Think of it like this: People get hurt all the time. We all have teammates. It's not anybody's fault except for the person who intentionally hurt them. What about Kiba and Akamaru? Akamaru gets hurt. Kiba gets hurt. But is it either of their faults?"

Shikamaru shook his head slowly.

Ino smiled. "Shika. You're a genius. I know you understand what I'm saying... and I know you believe me."

He managed a small laugh. "Alright, Ino. Alright."

She sat down next to him again, putting her hand to his cheek. "Now no more feeling guilty?"

"... Nah."

"Good."

She kissed him goodnight on the cheek again. Ino began to get up, but it wasn't long before she turned to face him again. His eyes had never left her. Smiling, Ino tucked a stray strand of blonde hair behind her ear. Sure, every now and then, she had a tendency to nag he and Choji to death, but right now, Shikamaru felt comforted by her closeness -- her warmth. She had changed from a troublesome girl with an ego the size of Konohagakure to a sometimes troublesome woman with a gentle, caring touch. He reached for her hand. She found his fingers and gripped them tight.

He had always been gifted with the ability to see steps ahead. He could always foresee trouble and solution... but somehow, this time, his gift had been blocked out. Neither he, nor she, had seen it coming.

His lips met hers.

Ino framed his cheekbone with the palm of her hand. Shikamaru ran his fingers through her beautiful, blonde hair. Despite its onset, he felt no shock -- no distress. He had never been quite so caught up in a moment such as this one. All he knew was that there were butterflies twisting his stomach into a knot and a certain blonde-headed girl whose touch made his body tremble. He could remember Temari's lips, and they were not the same as Ino's. They were different... not nearly as manipulative. Ino, somehow, had a unintentional way of dragging him in. He didn't mind. He didn't mind at all.

For a moment, their foreheads touched, and they opened their eyes to watch each other. He felt as though he could stare at her forever.... He felt... relieved; as though he had been waiting far too long for her touch. Tears burned the back of his eyes, but they would never fall. _Finally_... he told himself, releasing a breath that seemed like it had been held for hours. All the worry he had felt before had up and vanished. In this moment -- this place and time -- he felt as though he were close enough to protect Ino. He had never felt that before.

And then they were kissing again.

Her hands crawled behind him; one held the back of his head, and the other rubbed his neck. He kept a hand on her cheek and a hand on her waist. A shiver ran up and down his spine, and Ino used that moment of weakness to push him down on his bed. Shikamaru smiled lightly as her body pressed against his also slender frame. He pulled his arm out from beneath him to rub her back, while her hand moved through a few stray strands of his black hair, forcing an uncontrolled chuckle to part from his lips.

Suddenly, his face felt wet.

He took his hand away from Ino to feel. Sure enough, there were tears... but they were not his.

Shikamaru pushed her back gently, coming to sit with his back against the wall. Ino gaped at him in curiosity, the rims around her bright blue eyes swollen red. Two sets of tear tracks raced down her cheeks, and she shook with sobs. What in the world?

"Ino?"

The bedroom door creaked open. "I knew it!" Choji's highly amused voice called.

Ino turned away to hide her face while Shikamaru directed a glare at his best friend. "Get out of here!" he hollered, his voice hitting a frustrating high note.

Choji took off down the hallway, laughing hysterically. The pain killer Shikamaru had taken just minutes ago had begun to kick in. The room spun very slightly from his oncoming drowsiness, and he knew that if he did not lie down, he would definitely be sick to his stomach within the minute.

He pulled one arm behind his head, coming to rest against his pillow. The excitement he felt had steadily decreased, but still, Shikamaru felt incredibly close to Ino. With his free hand, he took her's, and directed her attention back to him.

"So..." he started, blinking away the drowsy feeling. "Want to tell me what's wrong?"

Ino sighed, wiping her eyes. "I don't know..." she admitted. "I guess... in the back of my mind... I always wanted this. Consciously, I don't think I ever thought about it.... Not until recently, of course. Not until you saved my life."

Shikamaru nodded. He took a breath and glanced up at the ceiling, watching as though he were gazing at the clouds. "I know what you mean. I've always been protective of you and Choji... but Orochimaru's goons just.... I don't know. I cracked. I realized some stuff."

She smiled at him, her tears beginning to dry. "Do you remember that day when Pein attacked the village?"

He bit his lip, nodding slowly. Of course he remembered the day when he did _absolutely nothing._

Ino gripped his hand a little tighter. "When the village came down on top of us... all I could think about was you. I knew Choji was alright... but I had this horrible feeling that something had happened to you. Of course, you broke your leg." Irritably, Shikamaru nodded. Ino continued. "You were so frustrated that you couldn't do anything to help... and I felt so bad for you. And you know what? Hinata got hurt... and Kiba got hurt... but I was so focused on you the entire time... and I didn't know why. I thought I was just being protective of you at first... but I can be protective of our other friends too. It was different with you."

"It was the same way on this mission," he replied. "Neji and Kiba were gone... Choji was on the other side of the cave... but I was focused on you." Shikamaru shook his head, the corners of his lips turning up, once again, into a smile. "I guess I came to terms with how I felt about you... after Asuma died. I lost somebody who I really cared about -- who I had a special bond with. I have a bond like that with Choji, too, of course... but not the same one I have with you. Unfortunately... stronger than the one I have with Temari."

Tears glazed over her eyes again. Leisurely, she layed down next to him, putting a hand on his slender chest. For a while, the athmosphere grew quiet. She watched him without a word, still on her side and lining the outside of his vest gently. Shikamaru took another deep breath, his eyes lost as he glazed up at the ceiling.

Her words were all that could bring him back to reality.

"Shikamaru..." Ino whispered. "I love you, you know."

A thin smile crossed his lips.

"I know."

_The worst thing you can say to a woman when she says that she loves you is "Thank you." The second worst thing is "I know."_

"I love you, too."

Fin.


End file.
